The Forests and the Stars
by GloriousBlackout
Summary: Even in death Kili had his brother by his side. And that, he supposed, was hardly so bad.


**A/N This idea was annoying me all day so I just had to write it down. A somewhat more optimistic story as well, compared to my other ones... I hope you enjoy this :)**

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The creature in sight was a rather beautiful one, Kili noted almost regretfully as he drew back the bowstring. The deer continued to innocently graze the surrounding plants; its guard lowered for it had already scanned the area for predators and had not noticed Kili as he ducked quietly behind a thicket of bushes. All feelings aside though, it would make an impressive prize to show off proudly to his brother when he returned from the hunt. It had been a long time since he'd shot anything this substantial. In fact it had been a while since he'd shot anything at all; it was hardly as if there was a threat of orcs or goblins lurking in the forests anymore. And even if there were, they could do him little harm seeing as he was already dead. Technically.

Kili raised himself slightly and grinned as he lined up the perfect shot – right in the beast's eye. The deer wouldn't know what had hit it. Just as he prepared to release the arrow however, a twig snapped in the distance and the creature was alert once more – cantering deep into the undergrowth before Kili even had a chance to adjust his aim. He swore under his breath before lowering the weapon and proceeding to stalk the animal as best he could. It had left a solid trail after all, the battered twigs and rustled leaves practically showcasing it's chosen path, but it was a fast beast and Kili's abilities were limited in that field even in the afterlife.

Sighing, he ventured onwards and resisted the urge to hum in order to pass the time, for fear the sound would chase off any more game. Hunting was merely a sport to him – it was hardly necessary here – but he would prefer to have something to show for it at the end of the day. He'd learned from bitter experience that he would be mocked by an amused Fili should he return empty-handed.

It had been several years since their arrival here. He'd awoken after slipping away on the battlefield to the comfort of blindingly white sheets while his brother lay in the bed beside him, already awake and smiling softly in his direction. Fili had joked about the fact that it hadn't taken Kili long to be reunited with him, but it hadn't been difficult to catch a glimpse of the regret in his elder brother's eyes and Kili had been struck with a pang of sorrow at the realisation of what their presence in this place must have meant.

It had gotten better, of course. Thorin had arrived before the day was out and both Fili and Kili had been well enough to greet their uncle with an embrace that would most likely have suffocated him had he still been capable of being killed. And so they had eventually settled, establishing some form of routine for themselves while they waited for the other members of their company, including the dear hobbit, to join them.

They were still waiting.

Kili had taken to hunting in the mornings, which was why he was currently lurking among the thick greenery searching for game he most likely would not eat. With nobody in these lands to fight, he had figured that he may as well put his archery skills to good use in other ways. It was either that or spend hours training in the large courtyards against people who were most likely older and much more experienced than he was. The lonely hours in the forests were pleasant enough for him, although he preferred the days when his brother decided to tag along and keep him company.

There was just one thing that he found somewhat testing about his treks in the wild. As he ventured further and further into the trees, he could feel himself being drawn towards the ever-present lull of the Observatory.

The Observatory, Kili had discovered upon his first visit with some disappointment, was nowhere near as grand as it was made to sound. It lay in the centre of a small clearing in the woods, surrounded by a thin stream of cool water that Kili would occasionally drink from on especially hot days. It resembled a wishing well from his childhood, although they admittedly had not possessed a smooth marble surface that shone like a diamond whenever the sun was at the right height. However, if he were to peer into the waters the mortal world would be laid bare and he could observe it at will, watching how the world kept on turning long after he'd left it.

It was supposed to be a comfort. If Kili wished to, he could spend days watching over his loved ones as they grew older and bore children that he could never have. He could see them happy once more as his death became more of a legend than a crippling memory. However, Kili had only ever braved the waters once. Long enough to look upon his own burial and the heart-wrenching grief present on his mother's face as she barely managed to conceal her tears. He had been too frightened of what he would see if he went back there. That was not to say that the temptation of it didn't linger now and again though. Perhaps, he mused, that was why he insisted on hunting so close to that small clearing.

After checking the snares that he'd set up the day before and putting aside the single rabbit he'd managed to trap, Kili called it a day and began the short trek to the forest's edge. The sun was bearing down heavily on his back and, while it was impossible for him to come to any real harm here, he could still experience the discomfort that accompanied such extreme heat. Even with the protective canopy above his head it was still stifling and so Kili once again resisted to call of the Observatory and battled his way through a thick overgrowth and skeletal roots in order to rejoin the paths that would lead him out into the open and to his brother's side.

The heat was just as intense as had been expected when Kili finally reached the green fields on the forest's edge but there was a calm breeze that at least made the warmth bearable for now. Kili squinted and shielded his eyes as they adjusted to the brightness of the clear skies overhead. This was perhaps his favourite part of his daily routine; the emergence from the dark woods and the gorgeous views that greeted him without fail every single day. Glittering seas sparkled far off into the distance, flanked by jagged white cliffs and green fields where the blades of grass visibly swayed under an eternal, cool breeze. Down in the valley below him stood the vast halls that he'd been told about as a curious child, and they were indeed a magnificent sight as they stood proudly between steep hills, the marble turrets and towering stone walls seeming almost as imposing as they were grand. Fili and Kili occasionally ventured down that way, with the intentions of visiting their uncle and father, but they had to admit that they preferred the freedom of the surrounding lands more than anything they could be granted in those halls.

It did not take Kili long to locate his brother, for Fili was in the exact spot that he had left him in as he slept softly under the shade of a lone oak tree. Kili chuckled quietly as he slumped down by his brother's side and leaned heavily against the worn trunk. He remained quiet, not daring to disturb the elder's slumber when the afternoon was this enticingly peaceful and calm.

Kili could not remember the last time he himself had slept. It was no longer a necessity to him and he rarely felt weary enough to rest. Not all that long ago he had met an elderly dwarf who claimed not to have slept for over a thousand years. His excuse had been that there was still so much left to explore and he could not waste a single moment on rest that he did not need.

Kili had been fond of the dwarf's mind-set. He could almost see himself using the very same excuse several thousand years down the line, although he regrettably would not possess the wizened appearance of the other dwarf as he seemed to be frozen in the image of how he'd appeared around the time he'd 'died'. He was saddened somewhat by the idea that he'd never possess a long white beard as he'd once joked he would, even if the possibility of never aging wasn't an entirely terrible one considering he was still technically in his youth.

Besides, sleep and aging were not the only things that had either been wiped out or deemed merely optional upon their arrival in this afterlife. Food and drink were also on that list – it was possible to never take a single bite of food and yet never experience a single pang of hunger – but that knowledge had done little to stop Kili's daily expeditions into the woods or the large feasts that took place in the towns below them.

Kili waited patiently under the old oak for around two hours, watching as the sea glittered with each new wave as the soft breaths beside him lulled him into comfort, before he decided to work on his sole prize of the day. He set about lighting a fire before freeing the rabbit from his belt and skinning it with his cooking knife. If Fili insisted on slumbering here all day then they may as well make themselves properly at home. The halls could wait.

Kili smirked as the smell of cooking meat was eventually enough to rouse his brother. The sky had now darkened considerably and stars were finally poking out against a black canvas. Kili had thought about waking him beforehand so that they could silently watch the red sunset together as they had done in their past life, but the calm expression on Fili's soft features had stopped Kili from disturbing him and the sunset had been ignored for today.

"You should have woken me earlier, brother," Fili grumbled as he rubbed his eyes and settled into a seating position. He scowled at the sky when he saw just how dark it had become. "I've wasted an entire day."

Kili laughed as he checked on the rabbit, trying to forget the fact that it was a relatively pitiful prize when compared with some of his past conquests. His brother did not seem to mind however. "Well, we have plenty more days ahead of us. I doubt you missed much of importance."

Fili shrugged before rising to his feet, the suddenness of the action combined with the still thick heat causing him to sway slightly. He looked down at the meat roasting over the fire and his stomach responded with a low growl, which forced another laugh from his little brother. "I take it you didn't visit the Observatory again?" Fili's lips quirked slightly as he noticed Kili freeze under his gaze, but his little brother said nothing. "It is not as terrible as you think, Kili. Even mother seems happier now."

Kili simply shrugged in response. He was well aware that Fili often wandered to the clearing where the old well lay in wait. However, he had made it clear that he had no desire to hear of what his brother had seen be it good or bad. One day he would brave the sight of what lurked in those waters but for now he was still unprepared. The day when he felt brave enough was yet to come.

Fili, to his relief, let the subject lie and Kili would have been lying if he said that the news of his mother hadn't relieved him slightly. He watched as his older brother wandered out into the open and glanced up at the stars - which were now many in number – scattered across the sky in beads of twinkling dots. It was a sight that Fili had never really tired of. Even back home in the Blue Mountains the stars had never shined so brightly or seemed so close. Fili could almost imagine reaching out and plucking one from its place, perhaps to give to his little brother or father as a gift. After all a star, even a hypothetical one, would be a much greater prize than the Arkenstone would ever have been.

"I was thinking-" Fili started, but could not quite find what he wanted to say. An unhelpful 'that's a rare occurrence' sounded from behind him and he smirked but paid Kili no further heed. Overhead a shooting star whizzed past him and left a golden trail in its wake and he found that all he could really do in that moment was smile. "It is not so bad here, Kili. Not like we feared it would be."

Kili looked up from the crackling fire and took in the darkening landscapes around him and the stars shining brightly in the wake of a crescent moon and the lush forests behind him. He found that his brother had a point. A smile snaked its way across his face as he let himself recline lazily onto the cool grass.

"You're right brother. It is not bad at all."


End file.
